Attachment for changing rear end suspension in automobiles

Claim 2

Apparatus for stiffening a leaf spring of a vehicle, comprising: rigid plate means having a rearwardly extending arm; attachment means for fixedly attaching said rigid plate means to the underside of said leaf spring substantially midway between the ends of said leaf spring; rigid elongated arm means; first pivot means for pivotally connecting a point adjacent the forward end of said elongated arm means to a point adjacent the forward end of said leaf spring; second pivot means for pivotally connecting a point intermediate the ends of said elongated arm means to said rigid plate means adjacent said midway point of said leaf spring; and releasable means for releasably attaching a point on said elongated arm means rearward of said rigid plate means to said rearwardly extending arm of said rigid plate means.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 in which said rigid plate means having a rearwardly extending arm includes: a generally U-shaped plate having a pair of legs extending downwardly away from said leaf spring, each of said legs having a slot therein aligned with said slot in the other leg, said slots being aligned in a direction substantially paralleling the longitudinal axis of said leaf spring; a pair of plate arms extending rearwardly of said U-shaped plate through said pair of aligned slots and spaced apart to accommodate said elongated arm means therebetween; and means for fixedly attaching said plate arms to said U-shaped plates.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 iN which said pair of plate arms are transversely resilient so that their rearward ends tend to move apart from each other when said releasable means is in a released condition.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 3 in which said releasable means is a pin which may be extended through aligned apertures in said elongated arm means and said plate arms rearward of said U-shaped plate.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first pivot means is short to minimize the moment arm through said first pivot means between said leaf spring and said elongated arm means.

Claim 7

Apparatus for stiffening a rear leaf spring mounted under the rear axle of a vehicle and extending forwardly and rearwardly thereof for connection at its forward and rearward ends to the body of said vehicle through shackles connected thereto, said leaf spring being attached at its midpoint to said rear axle by U-bolts extending thereover, said apparatus comprising: a generally U-shaped plate mounted to the underside of said leaf spring by said U-bolts and having a pair of transverse legs extending downwardly away from said leaf spring, said transverse legs having generally vertical aligned slots therein, said slots aligned substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of said leaf spring; a pair of plate arms extending rearwardly of said U-shaped plate through said aligned slots and spaced apart to accommodate the rearward end of said elongated arm therebetween; means for fixedly attaching said plate arms to said U-shaped plate; first pivot means for pivotally connecting a point adjacent the forward end of said elongated arm to said leaf spring adjacent said forward shackle, said pivot means having a length to minimize the moment arm through said pivot means between said leaf spring and said elongated arm; second pivot means for pivotally connecting a point intermediate the ends of said elongated arm to said plate arms adjacent the vertical plane through said rear axle; and releasable pin means for releasably connecting said elongated arm to said plate arms rearward of said U-shaped plate.

Claim 8

Apparatus for stiffening a rear leaf spring mounted under the rear axle of a vehicle and extending forwardly and rearwardly thereof for connection at its forward and rearward ends to the body of said vehicle through shackles connected thereto, said leaf spring being attached at its midpoint to said rear axle by U-bolts extending thereover, said apparatus comprising: a generally U-shaped plate mounted to the underside of said leaf spring by said U-bolts and having a pair of transverse legs extending downwardly away from said leaf spring, said transverse legs having generally vertical aligned slots therein, said slots aligned substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of said leaf spring; a pair of plate arms extending rearwardly of said U-shaped plate through said aligned slots and spaced apart to accommodate the rearward end of said elongated arm therebetween; means for fixedly attaching said plate arms to said U-shaped plate; first pivot means for pivotally connecting a point adjacent the forward end of said elongated arm to said leaf spring adjacent said forward shackle, said pivot means having a length to minimize the moment arm through said pivot means between said leaf spring and said elongated arm; second pivot means for pivotally connecting a point intermediate the ends of said elongated arm to said plate arms adjacent the vertical plane through said rear axle; and releasable pin means for releasably connecting said elongated arm to said plate arms rearward of said U-shaped plate.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said means for fixedly attaching said plate arms to said U-shaped plate is a weld and said plate arms are transversely flexible to accommodate stress placed thereon by said weld.